


Hanging on

by Noducksinpond



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hugging at 4 AM, Spoilers for Rogue Time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-27
Updated: 2015-03-27
Packaged: 2018-03-19 21:11:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3624417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Noducksinpond/pseuds/Noducksinpond
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Wanna talk about it?” Caitlin asked, and instantly felt dumb for asking. Cisco spun his chair again.</p><p>“No.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hanging on

**Author's Note:**

> Apparently I am on a Killervibe roll.

“If you came here to tell me, we all value you and love you, I´ve had enough pity for today,” Cisco´s voice breaks the silence, and it sounds raw and unused. Not that it´s particularly surprising, he´s been down here working all day. Caitlin stopped in the doorway.

“That´s not why I am here,” she said quietly, and he turned his head. That was only half a lie; she was also down here because it was 4 AM. Considering he´d been kidnapped by Cold until less than 24 hours ago, Caitlin thought he could do with some rest. If there was one thing Cisco wasn´t too good at, it was taking care of himself, which was obviously why he was down here. Even though she hadn´t said anything the last minute or so, he was still just looking at her. “It´s 4 AM,” she finally explained. “You should get some sleep.”

“Can´t,” he said and sighed heavily.

“Wanna talk about it?” Caitlin asked, and instantly felt dumb for asking. Cisco spun his chair again.

“No.”

“Okay then,” Caitlin began carefully and took a few steps towards him. She wasn´t really one for expressing her feelings, it always felt like treading a minefield. However, she had a feeling, Cisco needed to hear this. Barry and Wells may already have told her he wasn´t to blame for it or that he hadn´t done anything wrong, but she hadn´t and if she was honest with herself, it bothered her she hadn´t. “Then I´ll talk. We´d all have done the same Cisco. Well, all of us without superpowers anyway. I can´t imagine what it would have been like if it had been me or Ronnie, or me and my family.”

He doesn´t say anything immediately, not even in the first minute or so, and Caitlin´s heart almost falls when he finally speaks, his voice almost as hoarse as before: “Cait, Ronnie can burst into flames. Pretty sure you´d do fine.”

He turned around on his chair and none of them said anything for a beat of silence. Then suddenly she let out a huff of laughter, shortly followed by his own. Before Caitlin really knows, what either of them are doing, they´ve met each other half way, and she has wrapped her arms around him tightly. Her eyes were watering, and Cisco was full on crying, quiet shattered sobbing. His body slowly became less tense, and Caitlin brushed her hand repeatedly over the back of his head.

They stood in silence for a good long while, before Caitlin started talking again. It was 4 AM, so if ever there was a time she could speak from her heart it might as well be now. “I meant what I said,” she began. Cisco pulled away a little bit to look at her, and Caitlin swallowed hard. “I meant what I said at Dante´s party. We couldn´t do any of the work we do without you.”

“I-“ Cisco began with a small smile, almost like a smile he was worried about smiling. As if he was worried about what her reaction to his next words would be. There was also something else in his eyes, something that was almost surprised she´d say that. Granted, she wasn´t always the most emotionally available of their team, but she had thought he knew that´s how she felt. “I couldn´t do this without you either.”

There was something so warm in his eyes that it almost felt like she was melting, and Caitlin closed the space between them and wrapped her arms tightly around him again. Caitlin closed her eyes as she leant against him, and it struck her that Cisco staying was about more than just work or dealing with meta humans. Cisco was her best friend, the only person other than Ronnie who knew her completely. She couldn´t let go of that, even if she tried.


End file.
